The national numbers and our kitchen tables
On November 2, 2026, New Jersey closes the filing window for this year’s property tax relief, and many Cumberland County seniors have not filed. That deadline is the most urgent item in this guide, but it is not the only money people here are leaving behind.
By the usual national measures, the economy looks strong. Employment is high, the stock market is at record levels, and home values are still high. Yet consumer sentiment sits near record lows, and the University of Michigan reported this month that confidence fell most sharply among lower-income households and people with small investment portfolios. Those are the households that make up much of Cumberland County.
No article can lower the price of groceries or electricity. What I can do, after four decades of assisting folks in South Jersey, is point to the credits, rebates, and deductions that our neighbors qualify for and routinely miss. Most of them require nothing more than filing a form. This guide covers what is available right now, who qualifies, and where to get free help.
Property tax relief: file by November 2
If you are 65 or older, or you receive Social Security disability, the state will not file for you. You must submit Form PAS-1 by November 2, 2026, or you lose ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ for the year in one stroke. Most people under 65 were filed automatically and received a confirmation letter in August. If you are under 65 and never got that letter, you can still file Form ANC-1 by the same date.
The PAS-1 is one application for three programs. You file it once, and the state decides which benefits you qualify for.
| Program | Who qualifies | 2025 benefit |
|---|---|---|
| ANCHOR (homeowners) | Owned and lived in the home on October 1, 2025; income up to $250,000 | $1,500 under 65 or $1,750 age 65+ (income to $150,000); $1,000 or $1,250 (income $150,001 to $250,000) |
| ANCHOR (renters) | Rented your main home on October 1, 2025; income up to $150,000 | $450 under 65; $700 age 65+ |
| Senior Freeze | Homeowners 65+ or on Social Security disability, under the income limit | Reimburses increases in your property tax over your base year |
| Stay NJ | Homeowners 65+ who owned and lived in the home all of 2025; income $200,000 or less | Up to $6,500 (income to $100,000); $5,000 ($100,000 to $150,000); $4,000 ($150,000 to $200,000) |
The income limit for Stay NJ dropped from $500,000 to $200,000 in this year’s state budget, so some people who received it last year will not this year. Also, renters and mobile home owners on leased lots do not qualify for Stay NJ, but they do qualify for ANCHOR.
To file, gather your block and lot numbers and tax amounts from your 2024 and 2025 property tax bills, and your gross income from line 29 of your New Jersey return for both years. File online at propertytaxrelief.nj.gov or call the state hotline at 1-888-238-1233. Keep your confirmation number as proof of filing.
Credits working families miss
The most common mistake I see is a low-income family that does not file a return because it owes no tax. These credits are refundable, which means the state and the IRS send you money even when you owe nothing, but only if you file.
| Credit | Who qualifies | 2025 maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Earned Income Tax Credit | Workers with earned income under the federal limits | $649 with no children; $4,328 with one child; $7,152 with two; $8,046 with three or more |
| New Jersey Earned Income Tax Credit | Anyone who qualifies for the federal credit and files an NJ-1040 | 40% of the federal credit: $260 with no children; $1,731 with one child |
| New Jersey Child Tax Credit | Taxable income of $80,000 or less, with a child age 5 or younger | Up to $1,000 per child; the full amount goes to households with taxable income of $30,000 or less |
| Federal Child Tax Credit | Children under 17 with a valid Social Security number | Up to $2,200 per child |
The state budget passed in June raises the New Jersey Child Tax Credit to as much as $1,250 per child for 2026 returns.
If you skipped a return in a recent year, you have not necessarily lost the money. You can generally still file for 2023, 2024, and 2025 and collect these credits. Families who only want the New Jersey Child Tax Credit and are not otherwise required to file can claim it through the state’s free SimpleFile option.
New federal deductions for 2025 through 2028
The federal tax law passed in July 2025 created four new deductions that matter in a county full of food processing, farm, health care, and restaurant workers. They are claimed on a new IRS form, Schedule 1-A, and you can take them whether or not you itemize.
| Deduction | Limit | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime | Up to $12,500, or $25,000 on a joint return | Only the extra half of time-and-a-half counts; married couples must file jointly |
| Tips | Up to $25,000 | Tips must be reported and earned in an occupation where tipping is customary; phases out above $150,000 of income |
| Seniors | An extra $6,000 per person age 65 or older | Phases out as income rises above $75,000, or $150,000 on a joint return |
| Car loan interest | Up to $10,000 of interest | New vehicle assembled in the United States, bought after 2024 with a loan secured by the vehicle; the VIN goes on the return |
A deduction is worth less than a credit. It lowers your taxable income, so a $5,000 overtime deduction saves a worker in the 12% bracket about $600. That is still real money, and many people missed these on their 2025 returns because the forms were new. If you worked overtime, earned tips, turned 65, or financed a new car last year and do not see Schedule 1-A in your return, it is worth an amended return.
All four of these deductions are scheduled to expire after 2028.
Put the money in your paycheck instead of waiting for April
A large refund feels good, but it means you lent the government your money all year without interest. A family stretched by grocery and utility bills is usually better served by a slightly larger paycheck every week. If you regularly earn overtime or tips, the new federal deductions mean your employer is probably still withholding too much.
- Pull your most recent pay stub and last year’s federal return.
- Open the free IRS Tax Withholding Estimator and enter your pay, expected overtime or tips, and any credits you expect to claim.
- Print the new Form W-4 the estimator produces, which will show your expected deductions and credits.
- Give the new W-4 to your employer’s payroll office.
- Check your next two pay stubs to confirm the federal withholding changed.
- Repeat the check if you change jobs, get married, have a child, or your overtime changes significantly.
Be careful not to overcorrect. Withholding too little can leave you with a bill and a penalty. Aim to owe or receive a small amount, not zero.
Where to get free help
You do not need to pay anyone to claim most of what is in this guide.
| Need | Where to go | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| PAS-1 help for seniors and people with disabilities | Cumberland County Office on Aging and Disabled, Bridgeton | (856) 453-2220 |
| Questions about ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, or Stay NJ | NJ Division of Taxation property tax relief hotline, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | 1-888-238-1233 |
| Free return preparation for low and moderate income households, February through April | Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, listed by county at NJ 211 | 1-800-906-9887 |
| Free return preparation focused on seniors | AARP Foundation Tax-Aide | 1-888-687-2277 |
Dates to remember
- November 2, 2026: last day to file the PAS-1 or ANC-1 for ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ.
- February 2027: the 2025 Stay NJ benefit begins paying in quarterly installments.
- April 15, 2027: 2026 federal and New Jersey returns are due, and with them the larger New Jersey Child Tax Credit.
A closing word
Whatever you think of the national economy, the money in this guide is already set aside by law for people who qualify. Too much of it goes unclaimed in Cumberland County every year because no one told the people who earned it. If you know a neighbor over 65 who has not filed the PAS-1, the most useful thing you can do this week is sit down with them and help them file.
Sources
- NJ Division of Taxation: Stay NJ
- NJ Division of Taxation: ANCHOR
- LegalClarity: How to apply for NJ ANCHOR
- NJ Division of Taxation: Earned Income Tax Credit
- NJ Division of Taxation: Income Tax Changes for Tax Year 2025
- IRS: Schedule 1-A for new deductions
- Cumberland County Office on Aging: Summary of Services
- NJ Division of Taxation: Free Tax Preparation Services
- University of Michigan sentiment, via RISMedia
